Pneumatic pump



May '2-2, 1923. A n A1,456,013

T. E7 sMYTHE l PNEUMATIC PUMB @pz/Ag 2 Sheets-Sheet'l Ma'y22,1923. n1,456,013 T.- E. SMYTHE PNEUMATIC PUMP Filed July so, 1921 2sheets-sheet- 2 Y azz/f? fia-- Ill Patented May 22, 1923 'rar 'ri-ionesSMYT'HE, or GRAND Karine', MICHIGAN.

.minut/tarro PMP.

Appi'icaiionnied ilyso, 1921.v serial no. 488,593.

To all ii/1cm t may concern." y l y Be it'known thatI, -Ti-ioMAsSMYTH'E, a citizen or' the United States, residing at Grandlapids, inthecounty oli' Kent and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain lject ofthe invention is to simplify pumping mechanisms of this" character bydoing away witha plurality ot controlling floats and like parts.

A further object is to provide a construction oi this character ywhereina constant discharge ot'water is secured when a faucet is turned on andwherein a great saving' in compressed air is secured.1 and in thisconnection to provide a single controlling float having therein airwhich. is'compr'essed by the rise ot water in the float, this 'floatacting to control the 'compressed air valve and the air in the floatalso acting as the means whereby water from the upper container orreceptacle is discharged.

Other objects have to do' with the 'details of construction andarrangement of parts as will appear more vfully hereinafter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein eFigure 1 is a vertical sectional view ot my pneumatic. pump showing theparts inl position wherev water is beingdischargedfrom the lower tank;

AFigure 2 is a like view to Figure ll'but showingr the'position of theparts when the lower tank is filling and water is being Cischarged fromthe float.

Referring to the drawings, 10" designates a. well, cistern. or likewater collectingreservoir, and ldisposed within this well 10 is thelowertank 11 having` the heads 12 and'13 andfthese. heads are connectedby tie rods 14. and the lower head is provided vith an inlet opening 15controlled by a check valye 16 which is held closed ih v pressure withinthe tank `and is opened by pressure exterior to the tank. Theunper head12 1s formed with a valve seat- 17 of a check valve 18, thestem of thisvalve being crucitorm in cross section and operatingwithin a pipe 19which extends `downward yfrom the head 12 almost to the check valve 16.y

Disposed above'the tank 11 is the upper tank 20. which may be disposedin any suitable location above the well and at any desired distance fromthe tank 11.. This tank 2O is closed at its lower end but at its upperend is provided with the small clentrally disposed opening- 21. The head22v forming the top of this tank is held in place by s crews to the sidewall of the tank. `The water in `this tank 2O 'is not discharged andsimply' constitutes the water of liet-ation for a more or less buoyantcombined float and tank 23. This tank 23 at its lower end has a'guidespindle 24 which operates within a centrally disposed guide recess A25in the bottom ot the tank 2O and the upper end of the floating,vr tank23 is formed with an aper-l ture 26. Passingloosely through the aperture21 and passing into the Boatingtank 23 bymeans oit the aperture 26 andconnected to move with this floating` tank 23 is a rod 27 which' istubular from its lower end toa point above the tank 20. Above this'tubular duft'28 the rod 2T is solid and is provided with'the two`spaced stop Acollars 29 andv 3 0 held in place by set screws. Thetubular portionA of the rod 2T is termedA vwith an angularly disposedoutlet 31, to which a flexible pipe section 32 is connected. the outerend of vthis 'flexible pipe section 32 communicating'with a verticallydisposed branclipipe extending to and opening 1nto the water dischargepipe 3e. The iri-` nei' end of' thisflvater discharge pipe is formed asa "l" to support the tank 2() at its upper'end and at its lower end toengage with the head 30 above the valve 18. LThe discharge end otthewater discharge pipe 33 may be provided with a faucet 35'. Thisfaucet is merely shown to illustrate the tact that any suitable valvemay be provided on the discharge pipe line 34 and vat any suitable pointalong this linev ln 'other words, the pipe line 34 may be the housesystem and have a plurality ol faucets.

Mounted upon a bracket 36 extendingj upward from the Abead 22 and forkedor bi- :turcated at its upper end is a bell-crank lever 37, thehorizontal armor" which is provided with a bulbous head 38 bored to litloosely @roundthe red 2? and 'disposel'bg-'.

y tween the stops 29 and 30. The depending arm oi? this bell crank leveris also apern tnred, as 39, and at its lower end is notched for 'thereception of the upper end of an til-shaped spring 4:0, the lower end ofwhich is supported in a nick 4l formed in the bracket 25. Extendingupward Jfrom the head 12 is an air line pipe l2 which discharges at its`lower end into the tank ll yand which ventends upward exteriorly of`the tank 20 and is connected at its upper end to a valve casing; 43.This valvecasing is formed with an inlet port and valve seatI IAconnecting with an air .inlet pipe 4:5, in

'turn connectec kto any source of compressed air.

Disposed within the valve casingv .is an air inlet valve t6 carried by abody et?, the rear end 48 onf-,which constitutes an exhaust valve. Therear end ot' this valve body is formed with al cruciform stem 4:9extendingoutward through an exhaust aperture 50 in the rear end of thevalve casing, and this stein rearward ol. the Vcruci'form portionextends loosely through the aperture 39 in the depending` arm of thebell crank lever and is provided with two adjustable stops 51 disposedon each side ot the depending); arm of lever 37.

The valve 4:6 urged to its seat by a spring;4

52 disposed around the valvev body lil-7. When the valve 46 is seated,it closes the inlet opening le for the air and thus cuts olicornmunication between the lowerv tank l1 and the air but openscommunication between the lower tank and the exhaust port 50. When thevalve is retracted, however, it .openscommunication between the airinlet pipe t5 and the lower tank and closes communication f between thislower talk andthe exhaust port,

The operation of this mechanism is as follows: Assume that the mechanismis in the position illustrated in. Figure l and the lower tank 11 ismore or less filled with water and `this water is being'iorced outthrough the pipe i9 by means of the compressed ir passingz downwardthrough the air line 42 into the upper end of the chamber or tank ll..The water -is thus being forced out through the water line pipe and aportion of this water will be forced up the pipe 4:3 and into the duct'28 and so into the lower portion ot the floatingr tank 23. This tank atthis time is more or less filled with air so that it has risen to vitshighest position. .fils water Flows into the floating;r tank 23,however, the level on, water will `rise in the tank 23 and the air inthe upper portion of the tank will be compressed. lNhen the water risesto a predetermined height in the tank 23, it will increase the weight ofthis tank sulliciently so that the tank will move downward, carryingwith it the rod 27. At this time the waterin tank l1 has beendischarged. is the rod 27 movesr downward under the weight of thefloating tank `.23, the stop 29 will engage the head 38 and cause thebell crank lever 3i' to snap over into contact with. one4 ot the stops5l and shiflt the valve formed of the parts 4:7 and t6 to a closedposition, cutting off the Vtank is exhausting, water is `tlowing intothe lower tank, while in the upper tank the pres-v sure of the aircompressed in the upper portion of the tank 23 is forcing' the water outof this tank upward through the duct `2S and through the pipe branches32 and into the piper 34e and so out past the `faucet 35, provided thisfaucet is open. Obxiously when the faucet 35 is closed the. action olthe apparatus is stopped.

At `the time that the Heating tank 2?) falls, it will snap the bellvcrank lever 37 over, as heretofore described, to the position. shown inFigure 2. When a sufficient quantity ot watervhas been discharged fromthe tank 23 by the Atorce ci theair compressedwithin this tank, theweight of the floating; tank is sufficiently,lessened so that itsbuoyancy' n bell crank lever' until the axial line of thev depending armofthe bell crank lever'is'central with respect to the notch Zl-l andthen this spring` l0 acts to urge the depending arm 39 over against theinnermost 'stop 51.k This movement of the bell crank lever of the springis assisted by the spring- 52 and by the weight ot the float 28 and itis necessary to use the spring 52 hecauseot therlfact that the valve 5Ghas to close against the` pressure of .air entering` the port del. @nthe reverse movement, however, the pressure oit air ontering` throughthe port ifi assists in shittingv the valve body 47 to thepostion'shown, in Figure 'l against the action of spring` 52. y, While lhavel illustrated an embodiment of: my invention which is thoroughlypositive in its action and cllective,` ,l do not wish to be limitedthereto, as it obvious that the principle of." the invention might heeinbodied in `other Iforms. l have illustrated thc ioo constructiondiagrammatieally to a certain ated means for yieldinglr holding thevalve in either of its positions.

'8. A vpneumaticpump comprising a lower chamber having an inlet port anda discharge pipe, check valves controlling passage therethrough, anupper liquid containing tank, a hollow, air-tight 'lioat disposedtherein, a tubular rod to which the float is attached and lextending'out through the` upper end of the -tank,vthe rod discharging at thelower end of the float, a tubular connection leading from the dischargepipe to the interior oi' said hollow rod exteriorly or the upper tank, avalve casing having an inlet port communicating with a source oicompressed air, an exhaust port, a port communicating with the upper endot the lower tank, a valve therein in one position permitting theentrance of compressed air to the valve casing and lin another positionclosing the inlet port of the valve casing but opening the exhaust port,bell crank lever operatively connected to the valve and with which thefloat rod has sliding engagement, and stops on the float rod adapted toengage said bell crank lever to shift it as the rod nears its fullyraised position or its fully lowered position.

9. A pneumatic pump comprising a lower chamber khaving` an inlet portand a Vdischarge pipe, check valves controlling the passage of liquidtherethrough, an upper liquid containing tank, a hollow, air-tight floatdisposed therein, a tubular rod to which the. float is attached andextending out through the upper end of the tank, the rod dischargingat'the lower end of the float, a tubular connection leading from thedischarge pipe to the interior of said hollow rod exteriorly of theupper tank, a valve casing having an inlet port communicating with asource of compressed air, an exhaust port, a port communicating with theupper end ofthe lower tank, a valve therein in one position permittingthe entrance of compressed air to the valve casing and in anothei'position closing the inlet port oit the valve casing but opening theexhaust port, a bell crank lever operatively connected to the valve andwith which the float rod has sliding engagement, stops on the float rodadaptedv to engage said bell crank lever to shift it as the rod'nearsits 'fullyraised position or its 'fully lowered position, andresilient'means yieldingly resisting` the initial movement 'ot the bellcrank lever but assisting the-final movement oit the bell crank lever toeither of its operative positions.

10. A pneumatic pump comprising a lower chamber having an inlet port`and a dischargejpipe, check valves controlling passage therethrough, anupper liquid containing tank, a hollow, air-tight float disposedtherein, a tubular rod to which the float is attaclried and extendingout through the upper end of the tank, the rod discharging at the inletport of the valve casing but opening the exhaust port, a bell cranklever operatively connected'to the valve and with which the float rodhas sliding engagement, stopsr on the float rod adapted to engage saidbell crank lever to shift it as the rod nears its tully raised positionor its fully lowered position, a spring` urging the valve to a positionto close the air inlet, and a spring lvieldingly resisting the initialmovement ot' the bell crank lever from either oi its positions butassisting movement of the f bell crank lever` from one position totheother after it has passed a median line intersecting its center 'ofmotion.

ll. A pneumatic pump comprising a lower chamber' having an inlet port atits lower end and an outlet pipe extending from its upper end',checkvalves in saidport and pipe, an upper-liquid filled chamber, ahollow, air-tight float disposedthe'rein for vertical movement, a rodattached to said float and extending out through the upper end ofthechamber, said vrod being hollow to provide a educt opening at itslower end adjacent the bottom ofthe float and at its upper v end abovesaid chamber, a flexibleconnection extending from said duct, apipeleading 'trom the iiexible connection tothe discharge pipe of the lowerchamber, a valve` casing having a compressed air inlet port, an exhaustport, an outlet port leading .trom the valve casing to the upper end ofthe lower chamber, a valve inthe casing in one position closing` theexhaust port and opening the inlet port and in the other positionclosing the inlet port and opening the exhaust port, and means forshitting said valve comprising spaced stops mounted on the rod, a leverhaving its end disposed between said stops and through which the rodslides, a stem on the valve having spaced stops, the otherend oi saidlever having sliding engagement with said stem and between said stops,an'd resilient means yieldingly resisting an initial movement of saidlever to either ot its positions but` assisting the i'inal movement ofthe lever.

l2. A pneumatic pump comprising alower chamber having an inlet port atits lower end and an outlet pipe extending from its upper end, checkvalves in said port and pipe, an upper `liquid lilled chamber, a hollow,air-tight float disposed therein for vertical movement, a rod attachedto said float and extending out through the upper end of the chamber,said rod being hollow to provide a duct opening at its lower endadjacent the bottom of the float and at its upper end above saidchamber, a iexible connection extending from said duct, a pipe leadingfrom the flexible connection to the discharge pipe of the lower chamber,a valve casing having a compressed air inlet port, an exhaust port, anoutlet port leading from the valve casing to the upper end of the lowerchamber, a valve in the casing in one position closing the exhaust portand opening the inlet port and in the other vposition closing the inletport and opening the exhaust port, means for shifting said valvecomprising spaced stops mounted on the rod, a bell crank lever havingone end disposed between said stops, this end of the lever havingsliding engagement with the rod, a stem on the valve, spaced stops onthe stem, the other end of the lever having sliding engagement with saidstem between said stops, and an fa-shaped spring supported at its lowerend and having its upper end engaging one arm of the bell crank lever,said spring resist-ing an initial movement oi' the bell crank lever fromeither of its positions but assisting iinal movement thereof.

13. A pneumatic pump comprising a lower chamber having an inlet port anda discharge pipe, check valves therein, an upper liquid lled tank, afloat therein, means for establishing communication between the sourceof compressed air and the upper portion of the lower tank or between theupper portion of said lower tank and an exhaust port, including a valveoperatively connected to and shifted in one direction by the rise ofsaid float and in the other direction by the fall thereof, and meansacting automatically for alternately increasing or decreasing the weightoi' the float to cause it to alternately descend or ascend.

14. In a pneumatic pump, a lower chamber having an inlet port, adischarge pipe, check valves therein, an upper liquidfcontaining tank, ahollow, air-tight float therein, means for discharging compressed airinto the upper portion of the lower chamber or exhausting compressed airtherefrom including a valve, means operatively connecting the valve tothe float to shift the valve by the rise and fall of the float, andmeans for causing a discharge ot' a portion of the liquid dischargedfrom the lower chamber into said float to thereby increase the weight ofthe lioat to cause its descent, the compressed air trapped in the upperportion of the float then acting to discharge the liquid from the floatto thereby cause the rise ol the float.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto aiiX my signature.

THOMAS E. SMYTHE.

